DLA059-0006  Translation

PESTI HIRLAP

BUDAPEST V, VILMOS CSÁSZÁR-ÚT 78.

PUBLISHERS: LÉGRÁDY BROTHERS

EDITOR’S OFFICE

Budapest, 14th September 1935.

My dear Philip,

I have not had any news from you for a long time. About two weeks ago your brother Marczell^[1] was kind enough to give me your address in Italy. I wrote to this address and as my letter was not returned, I assume that you received it.

The main thing I wanted to tell you was that we have started the preliminary work on your book,^[2] including the sending of the money in English currency to “The Studio”, which is due to them for the reprints. All this of course takes up a certain amount of time. 

Now I would like you to decide on the following problem: this Hungarian edition is unimaginable without writing a few pages about you, your life, your Hungarian connections etc. Thus I am thinking of a biographical introduction, which I would write myself. Which would you prefer – should it be fairly lengthy, or short? Eight pages or four pages? If you decide on four pages, this would need four illustrations. I am thinking of the following: the wonderful 32 year old photograph of you as an infantryman which you showed me; you should loan this to us briefly so that we can make use of it. We will make a copy of it and return it to you at once. Secondly, we would publish one of your self portraits of around 1900; this we can find here in Pest. Then one of your Hungarian genre paintings, and finally a picture of your latest portrait of the Regent [110886], with you sitting beside it. We have these last three. It might also be a good idea to include the painting of Felicián Zách [11229]. You said that the original is in London. Do you have a photograph of it? If not, I would publish a photograph of the version in Debrecen [111172], which I wanted to have taken for you in any case.

I have had the portrait of Sándor Wekerle [111100] photographed and I enclose this. It was not possible to get a better picture of it; it is actually in the state that is shown in the photograph. It is not in the Retired Journalists’ Club [Újságírók Nyugdíjintézete] but in the Circle of Homeland Writers and Journalists [Otthon Írók és Hírlapírók Köre]. I also enclose a photograph of one of your youthful works which is in Vienna. 

We have a large number of visiting foreigners here. At present a whole group of French members of parliament are here, there are a whole series of congresses, and above all the Prince of Wales^[3] is here. I enclose a Pesti Hírlap report of his meeting with Pista Bárczy.^[4]

My dear Philip, I am very much looking forward to hearing from you. Please convey my hand-kiss to Madame.^[5] With affectionate greetings,

Yours truly,

László Siklóssy

Editorial Note:

Doctor László Siklóssy de Pernesz (1881–1951), Hungarian art critic; for biographical notes, see [111404].

Pd’O

24/04/2008